William h



(No Model.)

W. H. EBERT.

ELECTRIC GURRENT TESTER.

No. 453,323. Patented JuneZ, 1891.

WmessexlVILLIA'M H. EBERT, OF

NEWV YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN C. BEEKMAN, OF SAME PLACE.

ELECTRIC-CURRENT TESTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 453,323, dated June 2, 1891.

Application filed February 20,1891. $erial No. 382,206. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. EBERT, of the city and county of New York, in the State of New York, have invented a new and use- I ful Improvement in Electric-Circuit Testers,

of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to animprovementin electric-circuit testers, in which a pair of plates, one electro-positive and the other elecro tro-negative,haveleadingtherefrom,onefrom each, insulated flexible conductors terminating in exposed contact-points, the pair ofplates being so supported that the tongue of the operator may be conveniently placed between them, so as to establish an electric current when the contact-points are connected by an electric conductor.

The object is to provide a simple volt-aic pair which may be conveniently carried in the pocket and which maybe adjusted to the tongue, so as to leave the hands at liberty, when necessary, to manipulate the contactpoints to place them upon different wires or at different points on the conductor to be 2 5 tested.

A practical embodiment of my invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a view of the tester in side ele 3o vation, representing the end of the-tongue inserted between'the plates as in use; and Fig. 2 .represents a plan view of the device.

The plates which I find it economical to,

use and which give satisfactory results are 5 composed, respectively, of zinc and carbon. It will, however, be readily understood that plates of other material representing, respectively, an electro-positive and an electro-negative substance maybe utilized to form a pair.

The electro-positive or zinc plate is represented by A and the electro-negative or carbon plate by B. These plates are conveniently made in the form of flat disks and are connected by a flexible yoke C, the ends of 5 which are secured, respectively, to the outer faces of the two disks Aand B, so as to leave their inner or adjacent faces exposed for the reception of the tongue. The plates may be secured to the ends of the yoke, as in the present instance, by means of screws 0.

I find that a thin strip of celluloid serves as an excellent material for forming the yoke O, as it has the desired resiliency and is a good non-conductor. Other non-conducting resilient substance-such, for example, as 5 5 hard rubbermight, however, be employed instead of the celluloid for the yoke. It is intended that the tension of the yoke shall be such as to hold the face of the plates A and B normally in contact with each other or near to each other, so that when it is desired to place the end of the tongue, as represented at D, between the plates they will have to be sprung apart, and the tension of the yoke will tend to hold them seated in contact with the upper and lower sides of the tongue when once adjusted.

The flexible conductors represented, respectively, by a and b are preferably formed, as is common, of a bundle of fine wires sur- 7o rounded by a coating of insulating material and embedded or secured in electric contact with the plates and terminate at their opposite ends in contact-points a and b.

In applying the tester to practical use sup- 7 5 pose it be required to test the completeness of a circuit through a building, for example. The wires which lead into and out of the building are brought within reach, and

the contact-points a and b are placed onein 8o 7 contact with one of the wires and the other in. contact with the other of the wires, the tongnehaving been placed between the plates. If the circuit is complete, the presence of electricity will be at once observed by the action upon the tongue. The plates which form a pairbeing secured to the ends of the yoke, there will be no liability of their becoming misplaced, and they may be carried conven iently in the vest or other pocket, so as to be at all times ready for use. The self-adjustment of the plates upon the tongue leaves the hands free to adjust the contact-points, while the flexible yoke admits of the perfect adjustment of the device to tongues of vary- 5 ing sizes.

\Vhat I claim is 1. The herein-describ ed testing device, comprising a voltaic pair permanently connected by a yoke, and a pair of flexible conductors, I00

one for each member of the pair, fixed in 0100- set and the other clectro-negativc, in proximity to each other, a flexible yoke, the branches of which engage the outer faces of the two disks and hold their inner faces normally in proximity to each other, and flexible conductors secured in electrical contact with the disks, one with each, substantially as set forth.

\VILLIAM H. EBERT.

Witnesses:

FREDK. HAYNES, GEORGE BARRY. 

